Shipping-crate.



No. 771,127. PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

W. J. CORNER.

SHIPPING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 2, 1903 N0 MODEL.

Witnesses: IJWeTflIQTW.

i5 by many-s.

UNITED STATES Patented September 2'7, 1904.

WILLIAM J. CORNER, OF COLFAX, IOWA.

SHIPPING-CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,127, datedSeptember 27, 1904. Application filed October 2, 1903. Serial No.175,441. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. CORNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at GolfaX, county of Jasper, and State of Iowa, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Shipping-Crates, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of shipping crates especiallydesigned for use in connection with fruits that may be easily crushed orbroken in transportationsuch,for instance, as bananas or melons.

My objects are, first, to provide a crate of this class of simple,durable, and inexpensive construction, the economy in constructionbeingobtained, first, by providing a crate in which the fabric isconnected with the frame by being tacked or nailed between straightWooden strips, thus avoiding the expense of sewing or stitching it;second. by forming the frame complete of straight Wooden strips whichneed not be bent nor formed into hoops, and, third, by suspending thecontaining-receptacle in a frame by the use of cords, which are simplypassed through holes in the strips of the receptacle and tied to theframe.

A further object is to provide a crate of this class in which any of theparts may be removed for purpose of repair or replacement quickly and ata slight expense.

A further object is to provide a crate of this class in which thecontents of the receptacle may rest only upon those portions of thefabric that are stretched taut between the supporting-strips of thereceptacle and the contents cannot touch any portion .of the fabric thatrests against the strips, so that the contents cannot be injured by thesupporting-strips of the receptacle.

A further object is to provide a crate of this class thatmay be readilyand easily folded to occupy a minimum of space. a

My invention consists in certain details in the construction,arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device wherebythe objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully setforth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the complete cratein position for use. Fig. 2 shows an enlarged detail sectional viewthrough two of the supporting-strips of the containing-receptacle. Fig.3 showsa transverse sectional view on the indicated line 3 3 of Fig. 2,and Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of the modified form of frame capableof being folded.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the containing-receptacle iscomposed of a fabricsuch, for instance, as burlapsupported by means ofstraight strips. The strips which connect with the fabric and thecontaining-receptacle are formed as follows: The fabric, which issubstantially rectangular, has two of its edges attached to the straightwooden strips 10 and 11. These strips are then secured together with theedges of the fabric between them. While this is being done the portionof the fabric opposite from the edges is clamped between two similarstrips '12 and 13. Then the portions of the fabric diametricallyopposite from each other and midway between the points previouslyprovided with strips are then clamped between similar strips 12 and 13.The edges of the fabric are indicated in Fig. 2 by the numerals 14 and15. The portions of the fabric clamped between the strips 12 and 13 areindicated by the numeral 16, and those portions of the fabric stretchedtaut between the strips are indicated by the numeral 17 Obviously whenthe strips are placed in a position shown in Fig. 2 an open-ended bagwill be formed, the four sides of which will be straightthat is to say,the bag will be substantially square in cross-section. The ends of thebag may be closed by means of cords 18, tied to the fabric.

The frame of the crate is preferably composed of four uprights 19. Nearthe upper and lower ends of said uprights are the rectangular framescomposed of wooden strips 20, secured to the uprights 19, and on eachside of the frame thus formed I secure a brace 21, preferably arrangedat an angle of about forty-five degrees to stiffen the frame. I supportthe receptacle within the frame and at the same time keep the sides ofthe receptacle stretched taut by means of a number of cords 22, passedthrough openings in the strips of the receptacle and having their endspassed around the corner-pieces 19 and tied.

In assembling the parts of the crate I first secure one of the strips ofthe receptacle to one of the uprights 19 by means of the cords 22 insuch manner that the strip will stand substantially parallel to theupright and at a slight distance therefrom. I then tie the cords to thestrip opposite to the upright and stretch them taut. I. then tie both ofthe other strips to the remaining uprights, and the cords are allstretched taut, thus forming an open-ended bag in which the fabricbetween the strips is tightly stretched and the contaming-receptacle orbag is prevented from striking upon any of the frame parts.

In the modification shown in Fig. f I have illustrated a form of framethat may be folded or collapsed. This frame differs from the framepreviously described only in that the cross-pieces 20 at the top andbottom on two sides of the frame are divided in their centers and thehinges 23 provided to connect these parts, the outer ends of the hingedcross-pieces being pivoted to the uprights 19. All of these hingedcross-pieces are arranged so that the hinged portions fold inwardly andobviously when the hinges are folded the sides may come together, andthe crate will fold or collapse.

In practical use I provide for constructing the receptacle cheaply andquickly and Without the use of sewing or stitching, as follows: Thefabric, which may be burlap, is placed upon a flat-topped table, and twoedges thereof are brought together and secured to each other by placingthe two strips 10 and 11 on opposite sides of said edges and thenconnecting said strips by tacks or nails. While this is being done atone edge of the table an operator at the other edge of the tableconnects the strips 12 and 13 to the folded central portion of thefabric. Then the strips attached to the fabric are placed in the centralportion of the table, and the fabric between the strips is laid flatupon the table, and the remaining strips are secured thereto in the sameway by an operator at each side of the table. These strips are eachprovided with a number of openings through which short pieces of cordare passed. The frames may be put together independently, and the framesare all made of straight wooden strips which need not be accuratelyconstructed, nor do they need a finish of any kind. Hence the frames maybe made very cheaply and quickly and at the same time will be quitestrong. The receptacle is placed in the frame by means of the cords, asbefore stated. The particular advantage in having the bag or thecontainingreceptacle rectangular in cross-section is that when the bunchof bananas or other article substantially round in cross-section isplaced in the bag the article will engage and rest upon only thoseportions of the fabric that stand midway between the wooden strips, andsaid article will not engage the fabric near the wooden strips, so thatwhen the crate is shaken or jarred the article contained therein willnotbe thrown against any rigid strip or frame-piece Whatever.

For convenience in storing the crates and for shipping them when empty Ihave provided for folding the frames by placing hinges in the sidepieces thereof. The containingreceptacle in this form of the device isexactly the same, and it will readily fold whenever its supporting-frameis folded.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is

1. The combination of a flexible bag, angular in cross-section, stripssecured to the bag at the corners thereof and extended longitudinally ofthe bag and a frame on the exterior of the bag supporting said stripsand holding the sides of the bag stretched taut between the strips.

2. The combination of a flexible bag, angular in cross-section, stripspermanently secured to the bag at the corners thereof and extendedlongitudinally of the bag and a folding frame on the exterior of the bagsupporting said strips and holding the sides of the bag stretched tautbetween the strips.

3. The combination of a flexible bag, angular in cross-section, a pairof strips at each corner of the bag having a portion of the bag insertedbetween them and held therein and a frame on the exterior of the bagholding said pairs of strips separated and stretching taut the sides ofthe bag between said pairs of strips.

4:. The combination of aflexible bag, a number of pairs of strips, eachpair extended longitudinally of the bag at one corner thereof and havinga portion of the bag inserted between them, means for connecting eachpair of strips and for supporting the portion of the bag insertedbetween them, an independent rigid frame surrounding the bag, and meansfor supporting the pairs of strips by the said frame.

5. The combination of a flexible bag, a number of pairs of rigid strips,each pair extended longitudinally of the bag, having a portion of thebag inserted between them and each pair of strips secured together, anindependent rigid frame surrounding the bag and cords attached to saidframe and to the pairs of strips stretching the bag taut between thepairs of strips.

6. A crate comprising a flexible receptacle, straight strips securedthereto, said strips having openings therein, a frame and a number ofcords passed through the openings in the strips and tied to the frame.

7. A crate comprising a flexible receptacle, a number of pairs ofstraight strips extended longitudinally of the receptacle and attachedthereto by having portions of the receptacle placed between the stripsof each pair, and means for connecting the strips of each pair and forsecuring the receptacle between the strips of each pair, a frame andcords attached to each pair of strips and tied to the frame.

8. An improved shipping-crate comprising in combination acontaining-receptacle composed of a fabric having two edges placed to-'gether, two strips having said edges placed between them, said stripsbeing connected With each other, a number of pairs of straight stripsarranged parallel With the first pair, fixed together and clampingaportion of the fabric between them, connecting device attached to thesepairs of strips and a frame in- WILLIAM J. CORNER.

Witnesses:

J. RALPH ORWIG, W. R. LANE.

